Court Frees Six UNIOSUN Union Leaders Docked Over Protest In Osun
An Osun State Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo Thursday discharged and acquitted six workers of the Osun State University, accused of staging a protest against the university management.
Union leaders and members of the institution had, in 2018, protested alleged unpaid entitlements and financial impropriety against the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Labo Popoola.
The defendants had, through their counsel, Amole Joseph, entered a ‘no case submission’ after the Prosecutor, Moses Faremi, of the State Ministry of Justice had established his case.
However, 19 of the workers had earlier been freed by Magistrate Opeyemi Badmus on August 14 following a no case submission entered by their counsel.
Badmus had said that six other union members, whose vehicles were allegedly used to block the road during the protest should enter their defence, since the prosecutor had established a prima facie case against them.
The six defendants include Adiat Kadir, Odeniyi Olakunle, Adewuyi Saheed, Abiodun Olalekan, Ajulo Adetunji and Kayode Adesoye.
On Wednesday 7th October 2020 when the case was called for the Defendants Counsel to open its case, the complainant (Osun State University) and the Prosecution Counsel were absent in court.
The Defence counsel informed the court that the complainant had shunned the court for two consecutive times and also said that the absence of the Prosecution Counsel at the sitting was a ploy to delay the process.
Joseph prayed the court to dismiss their case for lack of diligence prosecution.
In his ruling, Magistrate Badmus dismissed the case, discharged & acquitted the six defendants.
ENDS
